Ryuuko
by Kinshou Rozu
Summary: When a young girl wishes only for her and her friends to be able to go the the world of Naruto, their wish comes true! Chosen by three demons, these friends journey to save the village from an unknown evil.
1. Chapter 1: Enter the World!

Author's Note: Hi! Rozu here! This is my first ever fanfic and bear with me in the begining right now (it will get better soon!). Please comment so I can improve and thanks so much for reading!

I gave a long sigh as I looked up into the star filled sky. Clutching my magazine tightly, I wished I could go. To be free from this world and live a life full of adventure and action. If only I could go…and live in the world of Naruto.

Ryuuko

It was getting late as I rode home on my bike alongside my friends. We are just leaving soccer practice and wanted to stop by our favorite spot before we had to head back home. I quickly grabbed my breaks and tossed my bike up against the nearest tree. I climbed up a long staircase with my two best (and probably only) friends behind me. We climbed the long stairway up to the top. When we finally made it I fell upon the cool, green grass and gave a long sigh. It was just an ordinary cliff, a small outcrop over the crashing sea below. I breathed in deeply taking in the salty night air. As my friends plopped upon the ground along side me, we all took out our magazines and sketch pads to hang out like we usually do.

My name is Elizabeth, but I like to be called Liz. I am 15 years old and I guess your normal girl. I have brown hair that I like to keep up in two buns like TenTen; and I suppose I'm medium sized. I really like sports and school, but I am absolutely in love with Naruto. I flipped through my pages of Shonen Jump, looking for a good picture of Hidan-san to draw.

"Liz, quiz hogging the magazine and let me see it!" my friend whined playfully. Her name is Sarah and she is the same age as me. She is pale and has short, blond hair. She was doodling Sasuke all over her sketch book in Sharpie. "You always take too long," she said again.

"Quiet, I do not," I stoutly replied.

"Do too"

"Do not"

"Do"

"Not"

That could have gone on for a long time until my third buddy cut off our bickering.

"Geeze, stop complaining," The boy said, "You guys are such whiners," This is Daniel (I call him Dan) and he is just a bit older than me. He is tall with short and spiky brown hair; and he is strong too! He is quiet and is like a brother to me.

Seeming pleased with his intervention, he returned to reading.

"Do"

We all laughed and I looked up at the night sky and sighed. "Times like these make me want to stay here forever,"

"Ya, that would be nice," Dan said as we all looked at the full moon above us.

"Ya," Sarah added. A sudden sullenness fell over us as we remembered that it was not something that would happen, for we all had something that would bring us away from one another.

We all are orphans. I never knew my parents, Sarah's died, and Dan doesn't exactly know, either. So we lived at the Rosemary Orphanage in Boston, and we were best friends as long as I can remember. We hoped we could all stay, but each one of us is leaving. Sarah is being adopted by a nice family, Dan is going to a boarding school on a soccer scholarship and I have been accepted into a prestigious school in Boston. All are things we should be happy about, but we can't. Not when we know we can no longer have our Akatsuki Club anymore or cosplay together. We always were best friends, but now it is hard when everyone is leaving.

"I only wish-"I started, but trailed off.

"What?" Sarah asked. She propped her small frame up on her arms and looked at me. Dan looked over at me as well.

"Nothing it's silly," I said.

"No way, tell," she demanded. I sat all the way up.

"I just wish," I started, "that we all could just escape. I don't want any of us to leave,"

"I don't either," she said. Dan also nodded in reply. I looked at them and then back up at the starlit sky, as if I could find away out if I looked hard enough. I wanted to cry, for it was only next week when Sarah would leave and then Dan. It was too much. I gave a long sigh as I kept looking out at the vast expanse of nigh sky. Clutching my magazine tightly, I wished I could go. To be free from this world and live a life full of adventure and action. If only I could go…and live in the world of Naruto.

Up ahead in the dark sky, there was a rare sight. A single, very bright star shot across the darkness. I stood up and pointed. "Look! At that star, see it?!" My companions also stood up from the grass and were shocked as well.

"It is so bright!" Sarah yelled, "Shooting Star, like the ending song!"

"That is unusual. I didn't know of any shooting stars or asteroids in the area tonight," Dan said. He was very into space, so both Sarah and I were stunned.

I looked up at the star and felt a sudden burning deep inside me, like a fire building. I pointed directly at the passing light and said, "I wish...I wish that my friends and I could go to the world of Naruto! I wish we could escape, that we could fight and travel and save the day," I kept staring, hoping on something that would probably bring nothing. I looked down and fought back tears. Dan put his hand on my shoulder and I was filled with a comforting feeling.

"I do, too," he said.

"Me, too," Sarah added. We all wanted to stay together and to leave this world. The warmth inside built and I gripped my hands at my heart. I wished it with all of my soul.

When I looked up again, I was filled with surprise. The star was gone! Sarah and Dan both gasped as they saw that the giant star had left the night sky as well.

"Were…were the heck did the star go?!" Sarah said with shock, "It was right there and then…Poof!" Dan eyes searched the blackness, but also couldn't find it anywhere.

Then it hit me, the small fire I felt inside grew tenfold. I felt a flaming inside again so much so that I had to fall to the ground. My friends were by my side, but it was so hot.

Then we all heard a voice.

"You, who wish upon the shooting start, have been chosen!" boomed a deep voice from nowhere. It was full of power and strength, we could sit there blankly. It continued, "Because of your spirit you will become fallen ninjas and house the three demons. Now prepare for your destiny."

It all happened very fast from there. The ground beneath us disappeared and we all looked as the sky lit up in blinding light. I tried to scream, but it got caught in my throat as we suddenly found ourselves falling deep into the blank nothingness below. I felt Dan latch onto my hand and I grasped Sarah's next to me. The burning reached its peak in my soul as we continued to fall. What the heck is going on?!

I closed my eyes and opened them to see an amazing sight. Three gigantic creatures stood before me and my friends as we fell. They reminded me a lot of the nine tailed fox, for they almost shook the entire air around them with power and strength. I couldn't tare my eyes from them.

There was a big yellow tiger with black stripes running around its muscular body. Then a blue wolf whose eyes shone bright yellow. And finally, a tall imposing red dragon with its wings outstretched to form the greatest wing span. I could not believe my eyes and as I looked at my friends, they too wore expressions of awe and fear.

The red dragon roared into the air and spoke in that booming voice, "Welcome, new nin to the world!" Another roar from it and the tiger, and the wolf howled, too. My eyes widened as they suddenly started change. Their bodies transformed into streams of colored clouds as they circled around us like a fierce tornado. I closed my eyes and gasped when suddenly the world started quickly spinning and falling. The burning felt as if it would explode inside me. The loud voice boomed the loudest and laughed. Then, I fainted.


	2. Chapter 2: What the Heck?

Author's Note: Yay, chapter two! I'm glad to get it up. And are my chapters too short? Idk. Anyway, I want to get a couple more chapters done before I update it so it might be awhile. P.S. The three main characters are all original characters that belong to me. I do not own any of the Naruto characters. Thanks for reading!

In Konohagakure, a ninja looked up at the stars and quietly gasped. A star blazed through the sky, cutting through the smaller ones like a sword.

"They're here," she said quietly. She jumped up and called her friend to tell him the news. The fallen nin are arriving.

***

The first thing I remember when I woke up is being very sore. My whole body ached as I pulled myself up. What just happened? I thought. I closed my eyes. My head was throbbing badly and it felt like I just fell off a building. I looked to either side of me and saw my friends. They were resting silently next to me in what seemed to be a deep sleep. Then I noticed something else. We were not in Boston anymore!

I leapt up in surprise (which also hurt) and looked around. We were in a thick forest filled with tall trees. It was night, but there were far more stars than in the city.

Star! I remembered that shooting star. I made a wish on it and then, umm. My thoughts trailed off. It got fuzzy from there. I sat back down, but my mind was still whirling, filling with a thousand questions. Where am I? What is going on? I thought hard, I remember a…a dragon? Flashes of memories flew inside my head of a big dragon with magnificent wings. I redid my hair and pulled into two tight buns again. We would have to get moving soon and find out where we are, I thought. We will leave as soon as they wake up.

Then I heard something, like a twig snapping off in the darkness between the trees. I stood up again and looked at the direction it came from. No more sound came from the trees and I tried to shrug it off. But then I heard another snap and then footsteps, coming closer.

I was petrified. I stared hopelessly to try and see something, but the darkness masked the entire forest. The only light was from the moon and that was pretty dim. My body screamed MOVE, but I couldn't. I just stood there as the footsteps drew closer.

"Ge-get away!" I stammered weakly into the trees. I tried again with more confidence, "Don't come any closer!"

The footsteps stopped, but didn't retreat. I held my position, willing to fight if I need to. Now Naruto has gone way too my head, I can't fight that well! I looked back at my sleeping friends and then back at the woods. I would fight for them. I won't let anyone hurt them. Suddenly I saw a faint outline as the glow of the moon fell upon the subject, a person no doubt. I couldn't tell anything else out though, it was far too dark. Then, I saw them pull something out from around their leg. It gave a brief reflection as the moonlight hit it; and instantly my mind went to kunai. The person didn't move and for a second I thought they would leave when instantly they wheeled back a hurled the object right at me! I dodged sideways as the flying object zoomed past me, scratching my cheek. It made a thunk as it landed in the tree behind me like a dart.

"What the…?" I said disbelievingly. My eyes widened when I saw that in the tree was a silver kunai, just like the ones from Naruto. "What is the big idea? Who are you?" I yelled out. The figure instantly sprinted out and pinned me to the back of another tree. I felt the threat of a kunai again on my neck and kicked out at the attacker (who still I couldn't see very well) right in the shins. They stumbled backwards a bit, and I grabbed the first kunai from the tree and ran up to the attacker. "Go away!" I yelled. The person got up and walked over to me slowly. I ran in front of my friends protectively with my kunai. The figure then stopped and gave a small laugh.

"I guess I underestimated you, kid," the woman said. My attacker walked forward some more and the moonlight shone down to reveal her identity. I gasped out loud when I saw who it was. Standing before me was Anko Mitarashi from Naruto!

I was dumbstruck, it was exactly her. She had her purple hair tied up and her tan jacket. Most importantly, she was wearing a headband with the leaf symbol on front. I stepped back a few paces and then fell on the ground. No way! It couldn't be her! Are we really in the world of Naruto? Anko looked down at me and sighed. "What's your name?"

I hesitated and then tried to say it, but I couldn't remember. Wait…what?! Why can't I remember my name? I thought intensely, but still I drew blank after blank; and my expression of confusion must have swept across my face. Anko looked at me and smiled, as if she knew what I was thinking.

"Can't remember, huh?" she said. I stared at her blankly and nodded. What the heck is wrong with me? Anko looked at both of my friends. I tried to think of their names, too, but still it is as if they had been erased from my memory. Nothing else, just their names were gone as if blotted from my mind. (It reminded me of Kingdom Hearts 2 when words were stolen.) Anko nodded and then looked back at me. "Yup, you guys are the ones. Kind of obvious by your clothes though," she said and I remembered I was still wearing my clothes from soccer practice.

"Wait, what do you mean, 'the ones'. Are you really…Anko Mitarashi?" She seemed perplexed by this a bit.

"You know who I am?" she asked.

"Ye-yes. You are Anko Mitarashi, a Tokubetsu Jonin from Konohagakure," She seemed equally confounded by the fact I knew all this. She muttered something about someone being right and then snatched the kunai from me.

"Time to go kid. We have to get back to my place before anyone finds you. That would be a mess," She thought for a moment and looked up at the sky. "Maybe, we should go to the hut instead," I wasn't tracking at all. The only thing in my mind was that we were actually in the world of Naruto! The star brought us here. It was amazing, and somewhat scary. I just kept staring into the grass feeling like I was going to pass out when Anko brought me back to my attention. "Don't go fainting on me. We need to walk," she hoisted my friend ------ on to her back. He was still out cold and I hoped he was alright. She then gestured for me to take the other. I got up and lifter her like I was giving her a piggy back ride. She was really light, but my muscles still screamed in pain. Anko looked back at me, but I nodded. She started walking through the trees and I proceeded to follow. I took one more look up at the stars and thought solemnly. I don't know what happened, I don't know how, and I don't know where we are going, but at least we are all together. I felt inside me a burning feeling again like before and now I could remember more and more about that dragon.

I had decided one thing: either we are in the world of Naruto or I was really being punked. I hoped for the first as I followed female ninja through the cool, dark forest.


	3. Chapter 3: Arrival

Author's Note: Thanks for waiting so long! (I'm so sorry!) Ya, I am only able to really update on the weekends and I know it's been forever since I updated, but anyway…Chapter 3! Thanks for reading!

We continued walking for so long. My legs started to shake with exhaustion and I guessed every other step I would collapse. Anko still pressed on, though; where ever we are going it must be pretty important that we arrived quickly. While going through the forest, I kept thinking about Naruto. I could not believe we are actually here! Would I be able to meet more characters, in fact I don't even know when in the story line we are.

Part of me hoped Anko wouldn't send us home right away. She seemed to know we were not from around here. Would she just say 'Nice having you, now go home'? That put me at a big unease. But my friends and I were still together, my friends and I, and that is all I wanted.

It was chilly, the air around us had begun to become breezy and the forest was quiet except for the occasional animal and the many leaves rustling. I wondered what time it was so I tried to look at my watch when I noticed something that made me stop dead in my tracks, it was gone!

My watch I wear all the time was missing from my wrist! I swore under my breath, I can't believe it. Then my mind filled with even more dread when I realized my backpack and Ipod had disappeared, too. I thought deeply, what else could I have lost?

I gasped and quickly took one hand and searched around my neck, breathing a sigh of relief as my hand felt against cool stone. I pulled it out and looked at the small, stone pendant. It was small and made of smooth rock, with a black dot in the center. Imagine the yin part of the yin and yang sign. It was by far my most prized possession because, truly, it belonged to my mother and it is all I have to remember my family. I clutched it in my hand once more before tucking it back into my shirt. I was so thankful it wasn't lost.

I quickly caught up with Anko again before she stopped at the end of the path. We had come up to a high, chain link fence running through the trees. I didn't recognize it from the manga and then I noticed an old white sign with these faded words on them.

'Do Not Enter! Authorized Ninjas Only'

Anko walked directly up to a rusty box that was perched upon a long, silver pole. She produced a key from her coat and opened it. It was a key pad. She quickly punched in several numbers and turned to the fence again. A door opened up in the long barrier and Anko walked inside. I stood blankly at the entry when Anko turned back.

"Get moving," she said gruffly. I quickly sped up and tried to match her pace. The gate made a loud squeak as it closed and locked behind us. "Not much further," she said.

The forest was filled with high trees that formed a canopy above us. I thought it would last forever until we suddenly reached a small clearing. It was maybe as big as a soccer field and it was complexly devoid of trees. Instead there was small hut with a gray roof sitting on the opposite side. The tired old building looked lifeless and as we got closer, I took notice the big leaf symbol sign painted on the front in faded red dye.

My heart picked up a few beats when I saw it. Wemust be in the leaf village! Anko again produced a small silver key and opened the windowless door. She then walked through the door and switched on the lights.

The inside of the hut was very plain. It had two red sofas with a low wooden table in the middle and a bigger table behind it with more chairs. Anko came to the first sofa and laid my friend down. I did the same and continued to look around as Anko made her way to the back. There I saw a small, aged kitchen with worn-out equipment and dirty tiles. This whole building looks old, I thought. When I looked to my left I saw a stair case leading up stairs and a closet.

The right wall is what really caught my attention. Hung upon it were many framed pictures of the Hidden Leaf village. I quickly walked over and gasped excitedly as I gazed upon the many pictures that I recognized from Naruto. I stopped and looked first at a photo of the Hokage monument, hoping it would give me a clue as to where in the plotline we were at. I noticed there were five faces etched in the stone. Tsunade is on there; I thought excitedly, we must be in Shippuden! As I continued to browse over the pictures I felt like a complete fan girl having to contain my joy as I identified each particular place.

Then I noticed one picture that was different. Instead of a place, it had a small group of people in it posing for the picture. One was Anko who was smiling and had her arm over a large, bear like man who I recognized to be Ibiki Morino, from the Chunin exams. It was funny; he actually was smiling, too, like he was laughing. Then there was the third Hokage, who looked rather old, but also happy in the photo, and finally another person whose face had been completely torn out. I guessed she was a woman. She was a thin looking and wore a beautiful purple kimono with light blue flowers. I was filled with a strange emotion as I wondered who she was and why her face was missing.

Anko walked out carrying a plate with glasses of water. She set them down and looked at the picture I was so engulfed with.

"Anko, who is the one missing?" I asked hesitantly. I looked up at her. Her eyes filled with immense sadness as she stared at the torn figure in the portrait. She looked down at me and then at the missing face in the photo again.

"I…I'll tell you later," shaking off what seemed to be a heavy memory. She continued, "We have some important things to go over and we need to start-," the blaring sound of a telephone cut her off. She quickly went into the kitchen and retrieved it. "Hello?" she said suspiciously, but then her tone went to that of relief, "Ya, I was just about to call you, I found them."

I quietly tip-toed over to the sofas next to my friends, but strained to hear her conversation with the unknown person. It sounded like a man on the other side, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. Anko paced and looked out a window while talking to him.

"No, no one saw....no…no," then a longer pause, "Not yet, do you want to do it?"

I held my breath as I listened. I wanted to know so badly! I hated not knowing and enduring this phone call was becoming quite the challenge.

I thought wildly of what she is going to do. Is Anko going to send us home, to kill us? I thought up probably twelve more crazy theories before she continued talking, "Ya, no problem…no I want you to do that part…hurry up," she finished and sighed. She looked over and looked confused as she saw me staring at her. I must have looked completely worried out of my mind, because she started laughing.

"Geeze, kid, calm down. It's not like I'm going to kill you! If I wanted that I would have done it already!" I finally exhaled, although I still felt moderately anxious. She gave another laugh and continued "That was Ibiki Morino, my partner. He is going to come over and help."

"You aren't going to send us home are you?" I asked.

"No, we can't," she said bluntly. My eyes widened. "Come here and I'll explain," I walked over and sat at the bigger table. Anko gave me some water and I drank it quickly, despite it having a funky taste. When I was finished, Anko began talking very seriously, "Look, not all of this is going to make sense. We still don't completely understand ourselves, but it is very important, because it involves you and your friends,"

I braced myself. Now I guess I would finally discover what exactly is going on. More importantly, I thought, what will happen to us now.


	4. Chapter 4: Explanations

Author's Note: I'm so happy to be writing Ryuuko and having people review! There is going to be alot of explaining going on in this chapter. It is a bit longer too, so I'll stop talking so we can get on with it!

Chapter 4

Anko looked very serious. I remember during the Chunin Exams how she could be fun-loving, but now she was far more solemn. It was as if the gravity of the subject could be felt in the room. She quickly redid her hair tie and began speaking again,

"Here is the deal, the fact that you have come here is a significant event. It will change the world here so much. I know you and your friends are not from here, and instead…you are from another dimension,"

"Another dimension?! What does that mean?" I exclaimed in shock,

"Look, be quiet while I explain or I'll throw you in the Forest of Death, got it?" she snapped back. I instantly slipped back in my chair and kept quiet. She nodded at my silent reply.

"The other dimension is one that is similar and different from this one. What we do know is that your world is aware of the existence of mine. Am I right?"

"We know all about it, it is in a manga called Naruto," I said quietly. She gave a quick nod.

"We call your world Harukaniyo and there are times when people from your world cross through a Celestial Bridge and land here. These people are called Fallen Nin and usually come by means of a shooting star," I perked up. I remembered clearly that blazing star I wished on, that must have been what she is talking about.

"That is right. We saw a really bright star and then we came here!" I chimed in.

"Can you not be quiet?"

"Sorry,"

"Yes, that is basically the passageway that allows Harukaniyo people like your self to come over. But it is not just random. The star doesn't swoop up any person by chance, because it is not just a star, it is a demon,"

A demon! I stood up, "Like the tailed beasts!" I said loudly, "Like the one in Naruto! They brought us here?! That is so cool!" I realized how loud I just was and looked at the female ninja. Anko looked severely agitated and I remembered her threat about the Forest of Death. I quickly took my seat again.

"Are…you…done?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Yes,"

She sighed. "Well, it was a demon, but not a tailed beast," I was confused so she went on, "These are demons much like the tailed beasts. They are massive collections of chakra formed as a living creature. However, they are not measured in tails. They are equally as strong as them, but instead these beasts are trapped in the Celestial Bridge unable to pass to either sides and cause the destruction they desire. You see, that's what they want, to get a host and do as much damage as possible to the world, but they are stuck at middle and they can't pass unless they have a host to take them.

Well, that is why there are people like you. The demons lie and wait for a certain person from Harukaniyo who they can capture and use to fall into this world because they can't do it themselves. They use bright stars as open portals to seal themselves into a host, take them through the Bridge, and fall here. In a way you are much like Jinchūriki, who house the tailed beasts," I stared at the ninja wide eyed. I was like Naruto? I thought in total disbelief. Can it be?

"Does that mean…that the demon is inside me?" I asked with a bit of shakiness to my voice. I could feel my head spin and my heart quicken. I once again remembered that burning feeling inside me before, like I was on fire, and then that dragon. Anko, nodded at my question.

"I want to tell you straight out so you understand, yes. There is a demon sealed inside you and inside your two friends as well,"

I gasped and looked down as I felt many emotions wash over me like a tidal wave. I couldn't believe it. When I wished upon a star, I had no idea it would come true. I felt thrilled and terrified all at once and didn't know which I was supposed to be. It was like I was being swept up in this tide.

Anko looked at me sympathetically now. She must have known how I was feeling and her tone was more soothing when she broke me away from my thoughts,

"Its alright, it is not the end of the world as long as you don't let it be," I looked up.

"I'm not sad or angry; not at all! Just...really surprised," I said. It was true. This is amazing! Forever had I wished to have powers like Naruto, to use chakra and fight; and now that it's true I didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen. It was magnificent, but also I was nervous. "It is all so surreal," I finished.

Anko smiled and gave a small chuckle, "Wow, you are probably the first person to take this so well! You should see the way some people react!" I gave a small smile too; this is crazy in a really totally awesome way. Then my mind clicked and I realized something very, very important.

"So can I be a ninja?!" I blurted out enthusiastically.

"Whoa there, hold on. Shut up and let me finish explaining because right now, there is still a lot you don't know. Your name, for example."

I then remembered that I didn't. In the forest, I couldn't recall my name or my friends' names. Right now it is --------. Blank.

"Why is that?"

"The demon inside you wants one thing and that is to take over your body so it can cause destruction. The way they do that is to erase your very being, like your soul. Your name goes first. When your name is gone, no one remembers it. The beast then can destroy your entire soul until you are nothing but a shell for it and it can be free. But your name is still there. You have to remember it, because your name is a part of you the demon can blot out, but never erase. Just try to think what everyone has called you,"

I thought deeply. I recalled all of my memories of where people said my name, but nothing worked. Then I though of something, roll call. In school when they call your name for attendance. I remember my monotone teacher reading the list everyday and waiting to hear my name; my name, where is it?

_Chris…Stephenie…Scott… Natsuki…_

I then remember being one of the last ones. How impatient I always would get. I scrolled through the names until I reached the final kids.

_Jane…William…………..Elizabeth!_

"Elizabeth!" I shouted loudly, "My name is Elizabeth," It was kind of one of those duh moments where you finally remember something you always knew and feel silly for forgetting. I looked at my friends. "Daniel and Sarah, I remember now!"

"Good, that was really quick. Sometimes it takes people days or they are too late. Your name is important, don't forget it. It is like a key to Harukaniyo and it is your identity there, but not here.

You see that name works in your world, but not here. Imagine the worlds like locks. Elizabeth unlocks Harukaniyo, but not the world here. No, you need a new key,"

"A new name?" I said astonished. This was all starting to sound way too much like _Spirited Away_ to me, "How will I do that?"

Anko smiled, "Ibiki will show you, that is his job. Your soul has a name already for this world. All you need to do is find it, too."

A different key, I thought. How strange this all is. I wonder what it is. I turned and looked at my sleeping friends and wondered what their new names are. I was about to turn back when the picture of the Leaf Village monument caught my eye and I then thought of another question.

"Anko, when in the heck are we?" I said as I looked at the five Hokages.

"What?" she asked puzzled.

"I'm sorry; I mean what is going on in the world. In my world, I read the manga and see the events that are happening. I want to know if it is exactly like the manga or if we are some where else in time,"

Anko thought deeply for a moment and then spoke, "The last thing important that happened was Naruto and his team under Yamato went to find Sasuke, does that help?" My eyes widened so they were the size of the moon.

"They just left? And is Gaara has been rescued right?" I said very quickly.

"Ya, that is what is going on," I sat back and was so excited. I knew exactly where we are in the plot, but we were kind of behind in the plot, I remember how I just read Hidan dying in the manga back home.

"What will happen now that we are here? Will I be in the manga?" I asked.

Anko took a sip of her water again and I could see by her expression that this was not an easy topic to answer.

"Listen, this is the other thing I wanted to talk about and its something that is very hard for anyone to really understand. It is a theory that we are pretty sure is right. Still, it is hard to say one way for another. Try to keep quiet this time and I'll do my best to explain," I nodded. Anko got up real quickly and ran back to the kitchen, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil. She drew one long line across the sheet and pointed at it.

"Are you ready? This might be a lengthy explanation," She said to me, judging to see if I was up for it.

"Ya," I answered back. I have already felt almost every emotion today; I would just be revisiting confusion.

"Alright, imagine time as a line. Events along this line are like points and time is forever running showing past to the left, present, and future to the right. Now in your world, you have a portal. You can see the events of our world and record them into a manga. Try to picture that covering of events like a highlighter along the line. It has recorded the events of the past and it continuing to record the future. However, your world is seeing time and events that have not happened yet," Anko drew a dot on the line and then another behind it to the left.

"This first dot is where the manga is recording, the present in your world, and this second dot a bit behind it is where you have landed, that's the present here. They will always be apart.

The entry of fallen nin into this world is a very big deal. The world is never going to be the same because so much more chakra is now here. Events will occur differently and the future as you know it to be from the manga is not going to happen the same way. Fallen nin are rare, but you would think that you would see them in the manga. That is not so. Because the manga has already permanently recorded the past events that have happened and is looking at the future to that same past, that future will remain the same. This is because the past can not be changed after the dot passes over it and moves on. Fallen nin never show up because the first dot has already passed over the place of the second dot and recorded something. Say where you land is called A when the first dot passes over it, you aren't there. However, when you land, you change that dot to B. The first dot already wrote it as A and can't change it, even though it is now B so forever the first dot sees it as A," Anko wrote the letters and pointed at them, "After a fallen nin come, it is as if you now go over this line in a different color highlighter. As you go over the events they are going to be different than what the first dot saw,"

"So…," I said trying to absorb all of this, "the manga will never show us, and it will keep going as if we never came,"

"Exactly," Anko said, "but you will not experience the future you saw in the manga the same way because the events are now changing as time goes on.

The past is the same, sort of. Because other fallen nin have come, the manga you read doesn't show them. I will tell you this: it probably wouldn't have been much different. The last fallen nin was a while ago, and there have been very few. The past you know from the manga is probably correct,"

"Why is that? Will we change it much either?" I asked.

"Your group is very different from other instances of fallen nin. One: because there are three of you at once and two: you survived. There have been less than fifteen or so fallen nin and most of them die along with their demon upon landing in the world," she stretched her arms in the air and yawned, "Wow, that was long winded. Sorry about that, but we have just barley begun to understand all this," She got up and went back to the kitchen with the glasses. This left me to ponder and absorb all of this new information.

I was baffled. This is all so strange, what with time changing and how the future will be different all because of us. I sat there, looking at the sheet. Another thing that was amazing is that we are all alive. If my friends have died, I wouldn't know what to do. That would be horrible. I pulled out my necklace and clutched it in my hand.

Mom, I thought to myself as I held the pendant, this is crazy; but at least we are all okay and alive. I tucked it back in as Anko returned.

"That is surely enough for tonight. It must be a lot to take in, and you haven't even been here a day," I again felt mystified. The way she said it just made the fact we were in the world of Naruto seem so real. I nodded slowly.

"Anko, can I tell you something?" I said quietly. She agreed with a nod of her head. "I remember, after seeing the star, feeling a burning inside me. Then I saw a great, red dragon afterwards. Is that what is in me?" She walked over and handed me more water.

"Yes, it is. The dragon you saw must have chosen you like two other demons chose your friends. You and your friends are now on a greater adventure than on you could imagine. You must make sure that you do not let these demons kill ya," she said. She examined my expression and then slapped me hard on the back. I gave a yelp of surprise, "Geeze, cheer up! You are not alone because I promise that Ibiki and I will help. Not to mention your friends are here, too. I believe that you will do great things here, I feel it. You don't have to worry."

"Thank you," I said. She seemed pleased and walked over to the sofas. Underneath the one Dan was lying on, she pulled a mattress out and covered it with a thick blanket from the closet.

"You'll have to sleep here, if you don't mind," she said. I shook my head and tried to hop out of my chair, but I felt exhaustion catch up to me. I stumbled, catching myself before I met the floor. I could feel my muscles ache as I walked. Anko gave another of her light laughs and said in her more playful tone, "You need to go to sleep before you completely pass out!" I walked over and plopped onto the bed. It was so nice to lie down and I could feel sleep creep up on me. Anko started to walk up the stairs, but I stopped her.

"Thank you Anko-san," I said in tiredly. I looked up to see her nod again and smile. She continued up the stairs and I heard another door open and close. I smiled, too, which felt good. I'm so lucky, I thought as I drifted more and more into sleep. Things could have been so much worse and I felt grateful for all that has happened. Anko said it would be tough, but I can handle it, even if I don't know exactly what will happen from now on. I'll do it. I smiled again and thought to myself.

Believe it!

***

Anko leaned against the door of the small room after heading upstairs. It was a crazy night and Ibiki would be around by late morning. Still, her mind was so focused on the girl. She thought of the ancient prophecy, too that the third Hokage told her about. Anko recalled how it spoke of a dragon girl. Could this really be her? Is she the one?

She looked though the window on the other side and saw the early signs of the rising sun. The night's darkness was clearing from the sky to make way for the dawn's new arrival. She walked to the bed and lay down on its cool surface.

"What will happen now," she said softly as she watched the changing sky, "I guess we will have to see."


End file.
